GREENSBORO, N. [url=http://www.airmaxnz.com/]Cheap Air Max Nz[/url] .C. - Ashley Wagner knew she wouldnt lose any sleep this night.A year after a miserable trip to the U.S. Championships, Wagner won the short program with 72.04 points Thursday. Her performance had her thinking beyond nationals and to

GREENSBORO, N. Cheap Air Max Nz .C. - Ashley Wagner knew she wouldnt lose any sleep this night.A year after a miserable trip to the U.S. Championships, Wagner won the short program with 72.04 points Thursday. Her performance had her thinking beyond nationals and to contending for international medals.Defending champ Gracie Gold was second, 5.02 back after doubling the toe loop in her triple-triple combination. In 2014, Wagner was the one with all the pressure after winning the previous two U.S. titles, and she cracked, finishing a distant fourth to spend a night fearing shed missed out on an Olympic berth.Wagner made the team because of her previous successes and finished seventh in Sochi with some redemptive performances. After winning bronze at the Grand Prix Final last month, she vowed that she needed more difficulty in her programs to make the podium at the world championships.Wagner tried a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination in competition for the first time Thursday. She two-footed the second landing but was heartened by the jump.I think that it is one of the steppingstones along the way to becoming one of the top ladies internationally, she said.The top of the U.S. standings looked familiar. Polina Edmunds, the third U.S. woman at the Sochi Games, was third, .98 points behind Gold. And in fourth, just .76 behind her, was Mirai Nagasu, the skater bumped from the Olympic team by Wagner.Fewer than four points separated second from seventh place. But Wagner had a cushion at the top — though one that can be easily overcome during the free skate.I dont have to worry about fighting through this long program, Wagner said. I feel like Ive put myself in a position where I can just relax and let things happen.A very different feeling from a year ago, when Wagner was fourth after the short program. She then fell twice in her free skate.On Thursday, she could grin as she told reporters: Its really great to be standing in front of you guys and I dont have to explain myself.Gold was the one with some questions to answer after what she called just a minor slipup. She couldnt work on her jumps for most of December because of a stress fracture in her left foot. And even when she was cleared to practice, she had to limit how often she did the toe loop.It would be extremely easy to say the mistake on the toe loop was because of the recovery from the foot fracture, she said. However, it was not, because Id been skating very well.But she had never before arrived at this event as the defending champion.The hum of the arena was different than any other nationals Id been to, Gold said.There were no skaters to defend their title in the pairs competition earlier Thursday.Alexa Scimeca and Christopher Knierim won the short program with 74.01 points, a record for the event, to lead Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier by 5.63.Scimeca and Knierim were the runner-ups at their first U.S. Championships together in 2013. They were fourth a year ago with an Olympic berth at stake. But the three teams that finished ahead of them arent competing this time.Two-time defending U.S. champions Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir split in the spring. Castelli was in third place Thursday with new partner Mervin Tran. Shnapir, who skated next with DeeDee Leng, was eighth.Nathan Bartholomay, who earned the Americans other Olympic spot with Felicia Zhang last year, was fifth with Gretchen Donlan after the short program.Scimeca had fallen on the side-by-side triple salchow in four or five straight competitions — the streak was dragging on so long she couldnt remember exactly the last time she landed it cleanly. So she sent out a light-hearted tweet in November that she was saving the successful jump for U.S. Championships.Sure enough, Scimeca was perfect on it Thursday.Chris and I skate best when were joking around, Scimeca said of Knierim, whos her fiance. When it gets too serious, thats when skating gets harder. Air Max Clearance Nz . LUCIE, Fla. Air Max Nz Online .Johnny there, who knew he had that speed? teammate Tommy Wingels said.Scott and Matt Irwin were unlikely goal-scorers Tuesday night as the previously stingy San Jose Sharks finally sprung a leak or two, blowing a pair of three-goal leads before coming away with a 6-5 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals. http://www.airmaxnz.com/ . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer.PHILADELPHIA - Although general manager Alex Anthopoulos insists he hasnt read any of the rumours, he saw fit to comment on frequent reports out of Chicago that the Blue Jays are hot for Cubs ace right-hander Jeff Samardzija. "I havent read them or seen them, but whatever they are, I guess I can say this; I have not had any conversations with anybody about active trade talks," Anthopoulos told assembled media on Tuesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. "If that ends up shooting down reports like we do every so often ... no, I have not engaged in dialogues, exchange of names, nothing. Its so rare that teams engage in trade conversations so early (in the season.") Read between the lines. There is a difference between speaking to his Cubs counterpart, Jed Hoyer, and having scouts watching Samardzijas starts. The Blue Jays are hardly alone in tracking Samardzija, whos winless in seven starts despite posting a 1.62 ERA. The 29-year-old has one year left of club control before becoming eligible for free agency following the 2015 season. The Cubs are rebuilding and multiple reports suggest previous efforts to get Samardzija signed long-term havent been fruitful. Anthopoulos repeated he will not mortgage the future for short-term gain, citing the Jays relatively uneventful offseason as proof he wont make moves for the sake of saving his job. What about if the right deal comes along? Would he be willing to part with a top prospect or two? "I think you value everything on whats the contractual status, whats the control, how much do you value your own players, wheres the club at, short-term, long-term, all that stuff," said Anthopoulos. "Just like anything there are a lot of players you are reluctant to move and that would be reflected in the price to really push those players. But I just dont know that youre ever in a position where players are untradeable. I think sometimes the value you place on them makes them almost untradeable because no one will pay you the ask. But I dont look at it that way that under no circumstances you hang up the phone." WILL MORROW NEED SURGERY? On Monday via Twitter, Brandon Morrow shared a photo of the splint hell be wearing for the next week or so on his injured pitching hand. Morrow tore a tendon sheath at the base of his right index finger on his second-to-last pitch of the fifth inning on Friday night in Pittsburgh. The injury will require season-ending surgery if an attempt to rehabilitate the finger fails. "From what I was told that wasnt going to be needed," said Anthopoulos of surgery. "If something changes down the road, but from what I was told at the time, surgery was not required." In striking an optimistic tone, Anthopoulos said he expects Morrow to return some time around the All-Star Break in mid-July. "We expect him to come back, we expect him to recover," said Anthopoulos. "He wasnt necessarily rolling but I thought he looked great against the Indians that game. But Brandon has the stuff to get on a streak at any time and even in that last game, I followed it obviously, it didnt seem like his slider was there and command but I think Brandon at any point can get hot and when he comes back hell be a big add for us." In six starts this season, Morrow is 1-2 with a 5.93 ERA. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) statistic, a mmeasurement of ERA based on factors only the pitcher can control, is 4. Cheap Air Max Nz Free Shipping. .03, suggesting hes been better than his actual ERA. Morrows 1.720 WHIP, which includes 30 hits and 17 walks in 27 1/3 innings pitched, is bloated. Efficiency was an issue prior to Morrows injury. He pitched into the sixth inning only twice. LIND LIKELY FOR THURSDAY Anthopoulos hadnt spoken to manager John Gibbons to confirm Adam Linds return date but the aim is for Thursdays series finale against the Phillies in Toronto. "The plan is to play nine innings of first base tomorrow in a Florida State League game," said Anthopoulos. "Ill talk to Gibby about it but hopefully we would look at potentially activating him on Thursday. I havent talked to Gibby about it but that would be one of the thoughts I have." Lind, 30, went on the disabled list April 16 with tightness in his lower back. FRANCISCOS FUTURE The imminent return of Lind will force the Blue Jays to make a decision on Juan Francisco. "Wed like to keep Juan," said Anthopoulos. "Hes playing well and ideally you want to be able to hang on to him. I know Gibby is fond of him and rightfully so. Hes played well." Entering Tuesdays play, in 14 games played with the Blue Jays, Francisco was hitting .280/.390/.520 with three home runs and seven RBI. His history suggests Franciscos batting average and on-base percentage will come down significantly. But hes a power threat off the bench and can spell starters at first base and third base. The Blue Jays would surely lose Francisco to another team on waivers should the club decide to designate him for assignment. Hes out of options, meaning he cant be sent to the minors and remain on the 40-man roster. Anthopoulos credited one of the clubs Dominican stars - Francisco is from the Dominican Republic - with helping lure Francisco to Toronto after he was released by the Milwaukee Brewers in late March. "Edwin Encarnacion was a big help in signing him," said Anthopoulos. "I think he really encouraged him to sign with us." Encarnacion and Francisco also were teammates, briefly, with the Cincinnati Reds in 2009. LAWRIES POSITION The Blue Jays have an offensive hole at second base. Prior to Brett Lawrie going down with tightness in his right hamstring, hed started at second base in three games in National League parks. The position switch allowed manager John Gibbons to keep Juan Franciscos bat in the lineup by putting him at third base. Would the Blue Jays consider extending the defensive alignment into American League games when Adam Lind is back? A lineup featuring Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Juan Francisco, Brett Lawrie, Colby Rasmus and Dioner Navarro would be potent. It certainly would be better offensively than what any of the alternatives provide at second base. "There hasnt been any talk of full time like that at all," said Anthopoulos. "No, its strictly for right now. We know he can do it, I know he had a two or a three game stint last year but Bretts athletic enough you could put him anywhere on the field, I really believe that. I do believe that if you gave him enough time at any position and you gave him enough reps he could be a gold glove defender anywhere." ' ' '